Unforeseen Reunion in the Bloodbath Battlefield
by animeluvr15
Summary: Before she knew it, Claire was facing her fight for survival all over again. She stumbles upon her old partner and their relationship takes a turn towards an unforeseen romance during their fight against hungry, rancid creatures.
1. Chapter 1

The bustling of the people seemed to halt whenever the sun set and the moon took its place, resulting in the black empty night sky. The pure white starts that would fill the dark spots in the sky habitually, allowing the earth to escape the pitch-black aura that would encircle the area without them, only had one light that scarcely illuminated the depletedness. As juvenile as it seemed, her superstition grew as she recovered the memory of the myth that a full moon summoned unbearable creatures to its calling. The engaged activity of the residents would resume the following morning, but fortunately, there would still be some noises of cars beeping and inhabitants murmuring, interrupting the silence that took place during the night. However, tonight was different. It was dead silent; nothing could be made out beyond her apartment window.

Tonight was exactly how it was before she left to retrieve her brother, Chris Redfield, in the quiescent, lifeless town of Raccoon City; lifeless because the horrifying and ghastly residents roaming the town were none other than the walking dead. She wasn't really alone in this game of survival, for when she carelessly walked into a bar to ask questions and a zombie happened to sneak up behind her back, her soon-to-be partner brought a bullet straight into the creature's head.

Leon, the rookie cop, seemed to be in the same mishap as her, so they decided to team-up to escape the horrors of Raccoon City. It only seemed to take less than a day to flee the city with both still in one piece, joined by a twelve-year-old girl, Sherry, who happened to be the daughter of the scientists whom tried to enhance the G-virus that her father injected into himself. It caused him to transform into a hideous creature that possessed him to try and dispatch their team, only to end up being destroyed in the explosion of the facility, along the walking corpses. She thought back to Leon, whom she forcefully had to separate from after departing the city. Where exactly were those helicopters taking him to? They've become well-acquainted during the mission and it was easy to cooperate, since she was only 18 and he was 21.

It hadn't been long when she was able to email him at the prisoner's facility in a militant island. She was caught in the Umbrella laboratory in France resuming her search for her brother and was locked up in a remote island, only to escape and accompany a new companion, Steve Burnside. They also managed to become closer, though it was tough in the beginning with his smart-ass comments and remarks. When they were finally on the path of desertion, the monstrous creatures conducted by Alexia Ashford separated him and her. She was then rescued by her brother, called upon by Leon who responded to her SOS by sending in her brother. They were then nonetheless separated by the collapsing staircase, leaving her to find Steve by herself.

She found him alright, but Alexia had injected the T-virus into his veins and made him transform into a huge, green, frightful monster that chased her down with his enormous and sharp ax. She was saved by the closing gates but was encountered by another one of Alexia tentacles. Steve was then able to cut through the steel gate, only to find her in a fatal hold by the tentacle. His possessed body was about to decapitate her until a spark of realization interrupted his action. She was as good as dead when the gigantic ax came to her neck, only realize that the ax cut the tentacle instead, which charged at him and stabbed him the in the stomach by an enraged Alexia.

This caused Steve to change back into himself, but the wound was fatal and time was ticking as his life was slowly being drained out of him. She sat by his side and his last words to her was, "I love you…Claire…" Her tears ran fast as his head lowered until it came to a stop, signaling that he was finally deceased.

She loved him back, but when the time came that the feelings of love were confessed, the one she felt that feeling towards was dying in her arms. This wasn't the first time she had butterflies fluttering in her stomach during a fight to survive. She had felt like this to Leon, whom she thought didn't feel the same way. Unrequited love was something Claire didn't want to encounter, knowing how painful it would be in the end, but she couldn't control her inner feelings towards that man.

Her unforgettable experience continued to play in her mind as she remembered that she and Chris finally collaborated to eliminate the transformed Alexia. They succeeded in doing so an escaped the exploding building through a jet.

Her mind suddenly drifted off to unforgiving questions that would fluster her whenever it came into mind. What would it be like if Steve were still alive? What if Leon traveled back with her and she confessed her feelings to him? Her head began to ache as a sign of frustration to picture multiple events that _could've_ happened.

Now back to the present (or at least in her thoughts), she glanced at the framed picture of she and her brother and felt warmth rise in her body when she realized that he was back safe and sound. He now lived in a separate apartment far away from her in a whole different building in another state, but they were still able to visit each other anytime.

Here she was, sitting comfortably in the couch watching a movie that compelled her to finish watching the whole thing without the knowledge of how late it was. Claire was in her loose, off-white long-sleeved shirt, tight black undershorts, barefoot against the shabby carpet, and straight and thin auburn hair pulled back into a messy updo as she was staring into the screen of the small television that sat on top of a worn out wooden side table. She wasn't poor, but simply wanted to save money by buying necessary furniture with the minority of the money she was saving.

Her excitement grew as the anticipated but epic action scene was about to happen. The two enemies got into their fighting stances and right when they were about the clash, the breaking news logo popped up on the screen as if right on cue, interrupting the very scene that she stayed awake all night for. Her wide smile slowly turned into a frown and she slammed her hand on the couch that she was seated on as frustration flooded her mind. She cursed under her breath and tried to relax in her seat as she waited for their "important" news report.

It took a few moments before a pretty petite woman with long, curly black hair holding a microphone to her mouth appeared on the television screen. The scenery behind the news reporter appeared to be strikingly familiar as it was just as dead as the outside streets, but something in it caught her eye.

The fresh market that she shopped at once a week to buy her groceries, being only a few blocks away from her apartment building, was in the background with the street lamp turned off when at this time, it was always on.

The woman began to address the news report, pulling her hair away from her face so her voice wouldn't sound muffled from her hair in the way. "Hello. I'm Amy Rhodes standing here in front of the metropolis where there was an unspeakable event that was witnessed by the owner of the market. The owner, known as Jack, was closing up his shop when a weary man walked inside in unsteady legs; his body so pale that streaks of blue were visible, showing an emphasis on his veins that were bulging out of his skin along with his bones since he was abnormally skinny. Jack had warned the man in repetition on that the store was closed, but the strange man continued forward towards the counter. Before Jack could flee, the man grabbed hold of his arm with his grubby hands and bit down hard with his yellow chipped teeth."

Claire could already imagine that Jack shrieked in pain and shook the monstrous creature off of him and took the nearest appliance his hand could reach before he swung wildly at the man.

"Until he was sure the creature couldn't move, Jack called 911 as blood furiously dripped down his arm where the man bit him. When the ambulance and news crew arrived, the owner was till conscious enough to tell us his story, but was growing faint and pale from the blood loss that was obvious from the pool of blood that his arm hovered over.

As the woman continued her report, Claire could make out a dark and faint figure slowly creeping up behind the woman. The figure became more visible each wobbly step it took by the light from the camera crew. Chills of fear ran down Claire's body from head to toe as it crept closer; the object now had a mangled, decayed, and bloody face that looked hungry to devour her, even though she knew the zombie didn't have the slightest emotions or aspirations.

She screamed at the television screen, yelling out words of warning even though she knew it would be useless since she was inaudible to the reporter that was about to face a gory death in just moments. She didn't even care about the sleeping residents of the neighboring apartment rooms. Nothing could interrupt this agonizing moment of bloodshed.

Just then, the creature bit down hard on the woman's skin over her clavicle and her terrified shrieks amplified by the microphone made her realize that the woman was now struggling against the zombie's rotten but strong teeth. Her weak wriggling actually made the situation worse as the dark red liquid coming out of her shoulder rushed out rapidly because of the sharp teeth scraping against her flesh. Claire stared wide-eyed as the scene played endlessly, thinking that it was all a nightmare and she would wake up soon, even though it was incredibly legitimate.

After the walking corpse finished his meal of human flesh, her body lay limp on the cold sidewalk, leaving only her mangled body to be drenched in her own pool of blood. The zombie was now walking towards the camera and her face drained to white as she identified the zombified creature that was coming into view.

It was Jack.

She gasped as the kind and innocent middle-aged man she saw every week to purchase her necessities was the thing that had put the reporter to death by furiously knawing and rip off her flesh. Not only that, but the virus that was embedded into his bloodstream by the unwelcomed guest had spread so quickly since just a few minutes ago, he had been bitten.

"This can't be happening! No…not again! This terror was supposed to be terminated when the Umbrella headquarters was shattered." Claire said to herself in dismay. Never had she considered facing her gruesome experience all over again. And not only that, but this crisis is materializing where she subsisted. She started to calm down, trying hard to credit that this was just an innocuous nightmare. Claire flipped through the channels on the television monitor, even though her digits were trembling as she tried her best to press the buttons on the remote. She knew it wasn't a delusion because every channel she switched to was still fixed on the shredded female reporter on the blood-stained cement; the news crews assumedly left their equipment behind before running away in fear and the medics drove away without lifting a finger to help, but only thought about their own lives.

Just then, she heard boisterous, excessive footsteps rush across the hallways of the apartment building, as if a large bundle of residents were trying to evacuate the building. Only one person had been infected, but why are they running away like intimidated children instead of taking care of the situation that could turn into an enormous disaster? Claire took a shaky step backwards in her bare foot and turned to gaze out the undraped window to realize that it was too late to even consider staying in this room.

There in the midst of the dark street was a mob of infected mortals whom were all trying to satisfy their hunger in their own demeanor, as if they were the exact replicas of Jack's mutated form. The only feasible alternatives were to either stay in the apartment and wait for the famished, blood-thirsty beasts to devour her or retreat from the place pronto and look for a way to halt the broadening of the T-virus. Claire was very wise in a situation like this, especially since this would be her third time abiding this, so option one didn't cross her mind. She had a very exclusive prize that she had obtained during her former adventure; the 9mm Beretta that she had polished from the dried up, infected blood, reloaded, and cleverly hid in a multi-locked safe far back in her wardrobe.

It's a complex code to crack, but since Claire hasn't been in a position so deadly that she doubtlessly needed to equip the firearm, it would be a little tougher to unlock. Her efficient memory allowed her to recover the multiple pass codes the lock required, hadn't it been a long time since she locked up the gun, hoping to never have to use it again. The imponderous but dangerous weapon lay in her cold right palm as she scanned the gun with her distressed eyes. The feel of it in her hand was so alien and full of destruction as to what she used it for in the contaminated land of the dead.

She hadn't noticed how long she was investigating the handgun until a knock on her apartment door broke her off of her daze. A familiar voice filled the room as the person opened the door, since she forgot to lock it.

"Claire, what are you waiting for? You have to get out of here before you get eaten alive by those things outside!" said her next door neighbor and best friend, Kristen. Her light brown eyes looked at Claire, waiting for an answer and her long, straight, strawberry blonde hair was tousled against her slightly tanned skin. "I'm on it." Claire replied as she grabbed the fully-loaded gun and extra ammunition. Kristen stared wide eyed at the weapon in Claire's hand. Where'd you get that from?" "Oh, it's just a souvenir from one of my trips." Kristen was standing there flustered and suspicious until Claire hastily grappled her by the wrist and yanked her out the door.

They followed the terrified crowd of apartment resident out of the building as Claire was able to recognize a majority of the escapers, but one had caught her attention. A young woman who occupied the room two apartment doors away from hers was grasping her two twin daughters at the age of two, though something was skeptical of one of the bundles.

The small child she carried on her left arm was very pale with eyes bloodshot, veins incredibly visible against her delicate skin, lips disturbingly chapped and slightly purple, and strands of fragile hair was gradually diminishing from her head. By seeing this, she now knew altogether why tears were rolling down the mother's eyes and mucus running down her lips.

At some point, her child had been infected by the virus and the evidence was bare as the juvenile's chubby arm contained a gory bite mark surrounded by dark red blotches of blood. That being said, something must've maimed her inside the apartment building. This had motivated Claire to retreat the complex as soon as possible.

Claire started into a dash, dodging people hindering her from getting to the dark brown, wooden, double-doors that led to the outside streets. During her top-speed pace, a pang of realization slapped her across the face. Kristen's wrist was no longer clutched in her hand due to her sprinting that was too much for Kristen to handle. She trotted back towards the crowd only to find Kristen taking hold of the other not infected child from the mother jogging beside her, whom was clasping the other sickened toddler. She was endorsing the weary mother by conveying her child so they could escape and not get left behind.

It took a few moments before all three of them entered the double-doors, only to start to huff the dirty, contaminated air that filled the dark aura. "Kristen, we have to get to the airport. It's our only chance of leaving before this town is populated by those freaks." Claire reminded her best friend. "Alright, let me just give Lauren back her daughter." Kristen edged toward Lauren only to find her kneeled on the black gravel, sobbing with both hands cupped over her teary eyes. "What happened?" Kristen asked sympathetically as she placed her hand over Lauren's shoulder. Before she could reply, Claire could behold the limp, motionless bundle lying on the ground. She never heard Lauren talk during their unintentional meeting, but when she spoke, her words were muffled by various sniffles as she tried to search for words.

"My baby…my sweet darling…she's gone forever!" Lauren choked out between sobs.

Dejection and sorrow swelled up in both Claire and Kristen, each of their hearts beating rapidly as they gave the grieving mother a few moments of silence. Time passed until they've been standing in the same position for much too long. "Ma'am, I'm so sorry for your loss, but we must depart before those creatures catch up to us." Claire started. "No, I can't!" Lauren barked out harshly to her without looking away from her cadaverous daughter. Unexpectedly, she slowly spun her head around until her eyes met Claire's with a warm smile replacing her previous frown. "I'm sorry, but I mustn't travel alongside with you. I'll just become a burden and slow you down. Plus, I want to perish next to my baby, for I know that she's never going to wake up. Please accept my decision." Claire could comprehend the woman's feelings as she would do the same if it came to this. "But-" Kristen began. "Alright, we respect your choice." Claire interrupted. "But may I leave my other child with you?" Lauren said has her gaze turned to her baby still wrapped up in Kristen arms. "Of course she can." Claire reassured her. "Thank you. Please keep her safe." "I'll guard her with my life!" Kristen declared, her tears welling up in her eyes. They both gave Lauren a parting wave before they left the woman alone with her dead baby.

"Okay, the airport is close, but it'll take quite a while to reach our destination on foot." Claire announced. "It's all right, as long as we can get the hell outta her." Kristen replied, carrying the baby in a secured but tender grip as the bundle wrapped her small, chubby arms around her neck. The street lamps barely gave off their only source of light as they began to creep up the unoccupied sidewalk.

The awkward silence became more discomforting by the minute until faint footsteps could be heard along their path. Claire already knew what was coming and raised the gun until she was in her normal shooting stance. On the other hand, Kristen stood still at the sound of the footsteps with the baby slowly breathing in and out, indicating that she was asleep. As if on cue, a zombie could be seen walking sluggishly on its unsteady legs towards the not-yet infected women. Not long after, more trailed closely behind their leader until they were barricading their escape route. "Shit." Claire cursed as she loaded the pistol with a click. One bullet was fired and then another, each one being sent into their forehead by Claire expertise marksmanship. Claire admired her skill at shooting, for it's been a while since she fired a gun.

Careful not to waste ammo, Claire focused on clearing a small portion of the mob, big enough to let them squeeze through. Kristen stared in horror as each creature fell to the ground with a thump with their blood oozing out of their pierced foreheads that stained the street. There was nothing she could do except watch her best friend bravely execute each one of the famished monsters. She was snapped out of her trance when the firing stopped and Claire pulled her, telling her to move forward. She did so, pumping her legs as fast as she could with the baby still fast asleep in her arms. Alongside Kristen, Claire ran quickly, evading the hungry beasts trying to grab hold of her.

They ran until they dangerously began to feel an aching sensation in their thighs and calves. Luckily, they were able to reach an area that wasn't inhabited by zombies with their torn, filthy clothes tainted with another individual's blood. Their hope grew in every step they took in the opposite direction of the mob of zombies. Claire had interrupted their brisk walk to reload her gun and the baby started to wriggle in Kristen's arms before she was lulled back to sleep.

After a few minutes of rest, the two continued their walk until they reached an intersection that was lit up by a single tall and bright street lamp. "The airport is only a few more blocks away. We should-." Claire stopped midsentence as she spotted a shadow walking closer to the street lamp. Claire readied her weapon but noticed that the figure was walking steadier and faster than any other zombie she had encountered. She started to relieve the stress that weighed down on her stiff shoulders at the thought that this could possibly be a human. She remained static, still locked up in her stance as the figure became more visible. It appeared to have a gun pointed straight at her defensively just as she did. She froze and turned pale as shock overflowed her body. 'There's no way!' she thought to herself as the figure was now completely visible and incredibly familiar. She shakily lowered her gun as she successfully uttered out the only thing that could escape her lips.

"L-Leon?"


	2. Chapter 2

_**A/N:**_

**Thank you all for reading my story and for the wonderful reviews! This didn't turn out as long as I was hoping for but I did put much of my effort into writing this. **

_**Disclaimer:**_

**I DO NOT own Resident Evil nor these characters. This is 100% fan made and was created and typed by me. **

**Please enjoy!**

****

"L-Leon? What the fuck are you doing here?" Claire exclaimed in supreme bewilderment. "Well well well, seems like you've gained a new vocabulary since the last time we've met." Leon joked, reposing from his firing stance, showing that he too was not aware of this reunion. The flabbergasted look on her face commenced settling back into her habitual expression. "I'm sorry for my foul language. It's just that… I didn't contemplate the bygone time of the T-virus to repeat itself. I'm indubitably not looking forward to what's coming ahead in the near future." Leon nodded in accordance; then turning to the rattled girl that looked essentially glued to Claire, embracing a child whom was now weeping in her arms. As for the woman, Leon could tell she was timid by his abrupt appearance.

Kristen's cheeks grew hot and turned to a shade of pink as she discerned the fact that the attractive blonde man caught her gaze. As much as she preferred, she couldn't divert her sight afar from him, for she had never laid her eyes on a man as handsome as he was. The sole bright light they had was just enough for her to take in his every feature. Individual strands of blonde hair swooped to the right side of his face, scarcely concealing the top portion of his right eyebrow above his dark green eyes. His hair framed his gently curved face, with the jaw bone not too angled but just right to give him a strong-faced look. The black top he wore was skintight, making the lines that defined his six-pack abdominals become visible. The pants enclosing his bare legs wasn't as tight as the shirt, but was a type of bottom that you'd wear when you went out to hunt, also due to the camouflage pattern all around it. His footwear also aided his pants, as if he just came back from a hunting trip, but the thought of that gave Kristen suspicions of why he had ended up bumping into them in the promptly deserted city streets.

During her examination, Leon just stood there, starting to feel awkward as Kristen was inventively scanning his body. Just then, their "moment" was perished by Claire interrupting. "Leon, will you quit making goo goo eyes at my friend and start coming back to the critical spot we're in!" Claire gaudily reminded him in an infuriated tone. "Hmm, do I detect a hint of jealousy in your voice Mrs. Redifield?" Leon fought back. "In your dreams Kennedy!" Claire retorted. She glared at him as Leon tried to mimic her, contending to hold back the laughter that was building up in his chest as he looked into her fiery eyes and amusing expression on her face.

For just a few moments, they stopped and stared into each others' eyes. Never has she been so close to his face to notice the features upon it. He was quite handsome, but she hadn't come to realize it as she was too occupied with the zombies trying to devour her. Leon stared too, thinking the exact same thing about her.

As if an alarm to indicate that their time of horseplay was over, their only source of light started to dim out as they now knew that they should've continued to their destination a long time ago. "Would you please turn into your 'secret agent' mode so we can get to the airport?" Claire blurted out, breaking the enduring reticence. Abruptly, Leon's face grew stern at the mention of this, remembering his true objective. "Alright, the terminal is just up ahead, so we'll get there quickly if our travel is consistent." Leon announced in a formal voice. "Now that's more like it."

Claire slowly walked up to Kristen who, until now, hasn't calmed the sobbing baby down. "Let me take over so you can rest. Thanks for caring for the child. I know that the mother is very grateful that she's in your hands." Claire tells her in a calm voice. "No problem. I can't let this one slide, especially after the incident with my little sister." She replied coolly, not in any mood to consult her feelings of the abrupt memory flash. She gradually handed over the youth to Claire's slightly outstretched arms. Claire took hold of the baby, taking in the soft texture of her skin and sweet scent. She's held a small child in the past, due to the numerous babysitting jobs she took part in. "Whose baby is that?" Leon asked curiously. "She's one of two twin daughters of a woman that we aided while deserting the apartment complex. We managed to make it out safely, but her other daughter was drastically ill formerly and passed. Her mother didn't want to leave her deceased child's side and chose to stay. No further argument commenced, for there was nothing that could overcome the grieving mother, so she left us with her living child. She's not mine." Claire felt light-headed as she mouthed her last statement. "Oh thank god…I mean…that you were able to salvage that child." Leon stuttered, blushing as he regarded to how he had just responded. Claire's cheeks also began to feel warm at the potentiality that Leon might've been distressed if she had been impregnated by another man. 'What the hell am I thinking?' Claire thought, struggling to vacant her dirty observation.

The leaves of the shrubs behind the inadequately painted, wooden, and ferociously chipped fence that divided the survivors from the gloomy, somber forest began to rustle; a sound that snapped the young adults back to acting like adults. A duo of fists from the unknown thumped on the fence, pursued by more that pounded on the barrier amidst the living and the dead. One pair of tainted mitts managed to form a hole in the fragile fence, inducing Kristen, the newest member of the "survival horror crew", freeze with her mouth broadly open in hysteria. "We have to leave at once, for that cheap fence seems like it will give way at any second." Claire declared. Before a reply could be stated, Claire, once again, grabbed Kristen's arm and yanked her to start their hasty bolt.

The trees seemed to rush by, silhouetted by the moon's light in a uniform position, along with the multiple trees accompanying it. The air flew to the corresponding direction of their flee, as if the wind was dragging them back to the blood thirsty zombies.

Claire had regained her energy that had been drained from her last exertion, with the zombies tailing her imminently. She had plenty of stamina for a girl as youthful as she, a factor in her reputation of being the quickest runner in her graduating class. She was filled with feebleness just hours ago as she examined the action playing on the cable television, but was induced to finish viewing the clash between the two protagonists. The immediate urge of excitement synthesized with fear didn't reach her as it consistently did before an onslaught with the undead. Having to leave the apartment just when she was on the verge of collapsing on her old but satisfactory couch, running at an expeditious pace gave her the similar feeling as having to sprint an 800 yard race just after rousing out of bed after a prolonged, deep slumber; languid and dizzy. As of feeling like this, it was veritably complex to run while trying to avoid fainting. Now that there was no turning back, Claire had to hold herself up until there would be a time to fall asleep, especially with the young girl grasping Claire's neck and settling her small head on her shoulder.

She peered at Leon, who now took hold of Kristen's wrist, whom was following closely behind, the expression on her face displaying that she savored their contiguous contact. She happened to look upon Leon's, which seemed as emotionless and hard to read as it was supposed to be in a situation that they were in. At the sight of this, Claire queerly felt relieved, even though she hadn't reminisced why she had the feeling of distress in the first place.

Moving the though aside, Claire brought her focus back to her primary objective, only hearing out the sound of their restless panting and shoes clicking against the rough, stony road. The air abruptly became hushed, along with the birds perched on the power lines, gazing intently at them as they ran. Claire just discounted the moaning of the walking beasts from afar as they began to approach them in their conventional negligent pace, for this wouldn't be the only time she'd hear this.

But the unpredictable occurs.

A gang of rancid creatures, capacious prior to the previous one, was barricading their only path to the airport, which was now coming into view. The light reflecting off of the windows of the terminal revealed a brief estimate of the monsters blocking off their destination. "No openings can be made out between the mob." Claire said distraughtly to Leon, as if knowing that he'd know precisely what to do. She was absolutely right. "Well then that leaves us with only one option. We'll have to make an opening with force." Leon said mischievously as he pulled 9mm handgun from his right pocket and raised it in front of him with his arms outstretched; the weapon clasped amidst his hands that were covered up by his black, fingerless gloves. Claire smirked at his remark. "Alright." is all she said before gently handing the child back to Kristen, whom was once again standing there, watching her best friend risking her life for their continuance.

The disturbing sounds that escaped the zombies' mouths slowly grew quieter as each gunshot could be heard louder in the distance. Hope began to swell through Claire as each one of the creatures that tried to make a meal out of her flesh dropped to the ground with a hollow in the center of their forehead imprinted by the bullets that promptly emerged from the tips of Leon and Claire's guns. She felt a pang of excitement as she fired away at the undead, though any other girl her age would have found this to be very traumatic, just like Kristen; Claire never felt afflicted of knowing that she could be a little boyish. It had been awhile before she shot something, nonetheless any target practice.

Just as the strength of the group was starting to weaken, the quantity of spare ammunition lessened for every time she coveted reloading her gun. She was on a role until she peered down at her stash and was startled as not an individual bullet was present. She looked aside to Leon, whom was still firing, not faltering for a second or even looking down to confirm that he had anything to reload. Alarming him wasn't a decision to be made, for there wouldn't be anyone holding back the antagonists during the break to aid her.

A click sound was made as she pressed a button to unlock the bullet capsule. "Oh come on, now's not the right time!" Claire bawled at herself in annoyance because there was only one bullet left. "Wha-" Leon began. "Hold on a second." she interrupted as an object came into sight that would only need a single bullet to puncture and discord the crowd of zombies in one blow.

A barrel of oil that would explode when made contact with her bullet. But she only had _one_ shot left which meant one chance or failure in the making. It could be perceived on the right side of the road sub sequential to an aggregation of clay and holes on the ground; cones of the color orange with a single white stripe in the median symbolized that it was a construction site.

Bingo.

"Leon, hold your fire! Go get Kristen and take shelter behind something distant from here. I have a strategy." Claire ordered intently. Leon desisted immediately, and without a single word conversed, he carried out her command by grabbing hold of Kristen and scampering to a dumpster that was blemished by recent disposals of rubbish and possessed a stench of spoiled milk; unfortunately the only substance big and far enough to secure them.

Claire took a few steps back that was just the right range to puncture the barrel with the rapid bullet but far enough to prevent getting hauled into the fire and flames. The creatures were drawing closer and closer and if she didn't dispatch the blaze, there would be too many of them occluding her target and hindering them. "Well, it's now or never." Claire thought, trying her best to induce herself sufficiently to raise the gun and pull the trigger. She did so, but not as fluid as expected, primarily since there were no second chances and this would ordain her fate. She concentrated on the goal with her keen eye and pinpointed a break intervening gruesome heads that directed to the smooth but stained exterior of the barrel. "There." she said presumptuously as she pulled the trigger with an index finger.

The moment went by so instantly, with indiscriminate events played at the same time. If it were any slower, the bullet would be visible as it charged out of her gun and made contact with the barrel, sending flames that burst out fiercely. The impact of the outburst incinerated all of the dead in the area, but a firm wave sent Claire flying backwards. She relinquished the clutch of the gun and obstructed at the pain sensation on her right arm that was drawn out to shoot. Ostensibly, the wave ferociously jerked her arm back, since it was the closest to the site of the abolition. 'Is this it for me?' she questioned herself as she hovered in a split second and began plummeting downwards to the coarse terra firma. She mentally braced herself for the solid contact with the ground, but stayed fixed as the pressure of the rushing air paralyzed her body.

Just then, she felt something against her back which she had previously assumed to be the rough earth, but instead felt two arms grapple her tightly. "Claire! CLAIRE!" She could sporadically pick up a man's voice calling to her as it became more audible as the constant ringing lodged in her ear began to pacify. The words of the unidentified individual sounded familiar but she didn't open her eyes to see who it was. She was shook gingerly as the man persevered to calling her name. She inaugurated to gain management of the rest of her body, her breathing revolutionized from hasty beats to its standard rhythm, and her heart reposed to steady pulsing.

But something wasn't right.

She tried to squeeze her hands shut, but only her left hand closed. The right felt utterly numb, remaining immovable along with the rest of her right arm. 'Damn, this is from the explosion!' Claire thought infuriately, almost bellowing out the words if it wasn't for the slow regaining of self control physically and mentally. Her eyes nonchalantly opened to reveal eyes gazing into hers fixedly, pools of green that submitted panic merged with faith. Leon had caught her and was now cuddling her securely but gently, mollified by the fact that his partner was animate. "I-I thought I died." Claire choked out, endeavoring to withhold her tears at the awareness that Leon had just saved her life.

Kristen kneeled down with the sobbing baby, who awoke from the boisterous boom of the intense destruction that occurred only a few minutes ago. She was lulled but is now completely conscious; not weeping or slumbering, but staring at Claire and Leon, who didn't move from their positions. Kristen averted, filled with fear of her best friend practically succumbed and begrudging of her now in the arms of the pulchritudinous agent. Claire hugged him back tightly with no hesitation, taking in the warmth of his body pressed against hers and his familiar but soothing scent that lingered on his shirt. Kristen couldn't stand looking at them any longer and stood up to breach their spark. "Don't you think we should be departing now?" Kristen catechized insignificantly too loud, making her discomfort of the sight of them perceptible.

Claire and Leon considered the hint in her voice and promptly broke away from their embrace; their cheeks becoming increasingly red as they regained the knowledge of how close they had just been. "A-Alright then." they both said in unison with an intonation of embarrassment. Leon rose and offered his hand to help Claire stand up. She accepted his aid and took hold of it before he gently pulled her upright. "Thanks." she said so softly that only he could hear it. "No problem. Let's go."

Their journey was full of reticence as they meandered along the city streets, coming across one streetlamp followed by more in addition. Kristen's brown, wedged boots clacked against the ground, which echoed all over the deserted road. The intonation that the ground gave off as they processed through the gravel remained the same until they reached the area loaded with ashes of scorched flesh; the distinct place where the oil barrel stood until it was fused by Claire's handgun. Lamentably, the only thing visible to Claire's eyes was pitch black as she was in deep thought instead of regarding to the fire show playing before her as she was flung into the air. Furthermore, Leon witnessed everything for the time being; Claire holding out her gun, shooting it, the barrel discharging conflagration, zombies consumed by the intense heat, and Claire being flung backwards off her feet. His expeditious reflexes had made him spring out and reach beneath her body just as it was about to hit the ground. But it wasn't the austere operative that would do anything to save others that drove him forward. It was…

Leon lost track of time as the obscurity of the night started to diminish as they drew nearer to the airport. "Thank God we made it!" Kristen spoke out as she sighed, heaving due to their running. The exorbitant parking lot consisted of numerous vehicles, connoting that there were still living mortals populating the airport. Furthermore, multi-colored lights flashed in contrasting directions as though planes were about to take flight. "Come on, we must ascertain that there are any planes left to withdraw the state." Claire declared. No one responded, for they knew that anymore interruptions could slow their only chance of continuity.

As they approached the slide-open door, they were all consumed by a tremendous amount of inhabitants whom had the same desire as they did at the time being. "We'll meet at the front if there's-" Leon announced, deferred mid-sentenced by the crowd swallowing them up. "-if there are no more flights left." Claire finished, as her words were only audible to herself. Kristen comprehended what her proposal was and pursued the wave of people, holding the child who was now cupping her ears to cut off the loud noises that pounded against her ear drums. The commotion filled with a variety of people's voices consisted of calls for help, words of fear and worry, and final goodbyes.

Claire had made her way to the digital overhead sign that read the flights, times, and destinations. It came to her convenience of coming to this airport before, for she knew where every station was located. The building was fairly large, but the only hindrance to its size was that it seemed too crowded with the quantity of people occupying the space today; there were generally more travelers than this, for, unlike any other place, only one airport was present for the whole state. It was a small place, but it would take many miles to get here if your estate was in the other side of the state border. She was lucky enough to live close by. Claire's heart sank as each word after the names of the flight's destinations read "departed." 'What the fuck? We can't stay here! First, we waste a majority of our ammunition and now we can't even fucking leave?' Claire screamed in her thoughts. Nothing could be worse than being stranded in a stuffed airport with nothing to do except to wait for the beasts to devour them.

A voice from an intercom disrupted her thoughts as the room grew quieter until all that was discernible was the steady beat of a fly rapidly fluttering its wings. The voice that filled the room was a low-voiced man that sounded like a 45-year old. "Due to recent events, there are no more flights available and the airport will shut down until further notice. We suggest that the lot of you leave without supplementary discussion, for the security will use force if necessary. Thank you." The sound of a beep indicated that it was the end of his message, as well as the start of a riot that was led by the crowd.

Did it get worse?

Hell yeah.

Many started heading out the door while some protested about the recent message at the front desk, struggling against the gorilla-like security team. Leon and Kristen could be seen in contrasting directions, heading to the front entrance where, strangely, a minority of the group exited. They were able to reach her outstretched arms held out to them and exit through the glass doors. Once again, they were swallowed up by the night, since the lights supported by the building began to close one by one.

"What are we going to do now that we're out in the open where we can be killed at any moment?" Leon asked, the secret agent tone in his voice turning into one of a startled adolescent. "I don't know. It's getting really late and we won't be able to see when all of the lights are ceased." Claire answered, sounding just as daunt as he was. A moment of silence passed until Kristen surprisingly spoke up. "There's a hotel nearby, so we can crash there throughout the night and head off in the morning. It'll take the zombies a long time to catch up if they continue to travel at their slow pace." Kristen said shakily. "Yeah, and there are a few taxis that we can 'borrow' until we get there." Claire said, now feeling slightly better by Kristen's assumption. Leon was now the one to speak with his voice now clear of any hint of fear, but replaced with playfulness.

"Alright, but I'm driving."

****

**Phew! I hope all of you liked it! I don't know how long the next chapter will take but all I can say is that you'll know why I rated this story T (heehee). Please review and feel free to criticize any flaws in the story so I can do my best to make the upcoming chapters much better. Thanks! 3 **


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